New witness may be key
The Mumbai crime branch has found another important witness in the gangrape case of the female photojournalist. His testimony can prove the telephonic calls between the accused when one of them informed the other about the “target”. Regarding evidence of the actual crime of the rape, the police will rely heavily on forensic analysis and statements of the victim and her male friend.
A crime branch officer said, “Chand, Siraj and Kasim Bangali were playing cards in a different area while Vijay Jadhav and Salim were at the spot of the crime at Mahalaxmi Mills. Another person, a member of the gang’s extended pack, was with Chand and the two others during their card game when Salim called Bangali and told him about the presence of the victim and the male friend. His statement, apart from the call data records will prove that there was communication between the two.”
Bangali had also sold his phone to another person, who resold it to someone else. “We have identified the first buyer and will trace the phone’s new owner. The photographs that were clicked might be probably deleted but will be retrieved using data recovery technologies. Four phones have been recovered and only Kasim’s mobile remains,” added the officer.
In another significant development, the five have admitted to committing similar crimes on three occasions in the past six months during their interrogation. “They said they had raped a ragpicker, a commercial sex worker and molested a girl who had come with her boyfriend for privac,” said a source.
. However these crimes are not on record as the victims here did not file police complaints. Our case will become stronger if they approach the police,” said another crime branch source.
Regarding the controversy surrounding Bangali being a police informer and being accidentally alerted by constable Mujawar, officers said that the policeman was only calling criminals on record — a routine practice during a probe.
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